X-Man 23
by Jedi Master Karzon
Summary: Logan returns to the Mansion after visiting Alkali Lake with someone else in tow. During X2. Currently oneshot.


**Author's Note: Really should just finish one story before starting the next five. I am working on some more for Rogue Alliance, Revan's War and Veteran Player, Different Game but not for A Different Path. I will probably take that down soon, at least for now. However, this is a plot bunny that has been running around in my head since I saw the X-Men Evolution episode Target X (about ten years late). I will be doing this from memory so if you're here for accuracy, you're out of luck. First oneshot but let me know if you want me to try Last Stand as well. The only thing I will change about X1 is how close Rogue and Logan are. They are good friends but not as close as in the films. And no Jean/Logan. It annoyed me. Also, they're being bumped up to the present day as opposed to 2000-and-whatever-year-it-was.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not sure who owns all these properties but it isn't me. If I did, X-23 would be in more.**

**Grounds, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Spring 2013, Mid-Afternoon**

The motorbike slowed to a halt as it approached the end of the drive and the two figures dismounted. The driver was a relatively short, muscular man with dark, almost black hair, that pointed up slightly at the sides. The other was a girl, approximately seventeen and similar height to the man, with dark brown hair reaching halfway down her back and piercing green eyes. As they walked toward the large house ahead, they saw kids running around.

"It's a regular circus here," the man commented, following the girl's gaze to a child running on water.

The girl gave an understanding nod of the head as they approached the doors. As they stepped in, another girl approached them, causing the brunette to tense.

"Logan! You're back!" Rogue exclaimed, glad that her friend was back unharmed.

"Good to see you too, kid," the man known as the Wolverine responded.

"And who are you? I'm Rogue," Rogue introduced herself to Logan's companion.

"I am Laura. I am Logan's daughter," Laura introduced herself.

"Daughter? I didn't know you had a daughter, Logan," Ororo Munroe commented as she entered the hallway.

"Neither did I until seven months ago. My old friend, Emma Frost, picked her up and called me. She's been with me since," Logan explained.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Laura. I am Ororo Munroe," the dark-skinned woman introduced herself.

"Also known as Storm, correct? Father has mentioned you. He respects your fighting abilities. Hence it can be deduced that you must be skilled to gain that respect. I look forward to fighting alongside you," Laura replied.

Rogue looked surprised at this while Storm raised an eyebrow and Logan rolled his eyes.

"Rogue, could you take Laura to see the Professor please? I got some things to take care of quickly," Logan told the younger girl.

"Sure. Come on, Laura, the Professor's down in Cerebro," Rogue said, leading the girl down the hallway.

"I'll see you later, Logan. Jean and me are heading to Boston to find the mutant behind the attempt on the president," Storm elaborated at Logan's confused look.

"Good luck. Hope you don't need it."

**Dormitory, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Spring 2013, Approaching Midnight**

Laura's eyes snapped open. Her eyes darted around the room as she listened closely. Yes, there it was again. Someone was sneaking around the building, and badly. She slipped out from under the covers, barely glancing at Rogue asleep in the other bed. Presumably one of the children was trying to get somewhere without being noticed. Laura stepped silently out of the door and turned toward the sound, intending to quietly scold the child in question. She crept along the hallway and turned the corner.

She hesitated for less than a second as she took in the hallway. Two men in black and grey military clothing were stood in the hallway, facing away from her, guns of some kind in hand. Judging by the sounds, there were at least three more in the rooms. She heard the almost-silent thud of a tranquilliser dart and started moving.

Silently she stepped up behind the two soldiers before raising her fists. Two metal claws erupted from between the knuckles of each hand and into the necks of the two soldiers silencing their cries before the could leave their throats. She immediately slipped across to the edge of the nearby doorway just before another soldier came through. He caught side of the bodies but before he could cry for help, a metal claw slid across his throat, causing him to collapse with a slight gurgle. Laura whipped around and launched herself across the hallway, stabbing two claws into one soldiers throat while slipping his knife from his body and hurling it into the other's neck before rising.

All five soldiers lay on the ground around her, blood seeping into the carpet. She looked down at each, listening for any signs of life before turning toward the fire alarm. Before she reached it, there was a high-pitched, extremely loud scream. Laura collapsed against the wall, clamping her hands over her ears as her sensitive ears struggled to cope. After a moment, the scream stopped and Laura staggered upright. She turned and raced back to her room, dodging around panicking kids as she went. Darting in, she found a bleary-eyed Rogue staggering out of bed.

"Grab some clothes, chuck them in and then take it with you," Laura ordered, already stuffing some of her own clothes into a duffel bag.

Laura threw in a final t-shirt and then turned and raced back into the hallway, leaving Rogue behind to put her own clothes in. Laura raced through the house, directing kids towards Piotr Rasputin who she had passed previously and who seemed to know where to go. Turning a corner she spotted two soldiers stalking toward a trio of cornered kids, none older than fourteen. With a roar, she charged down the corridor, causing the soldiers to turn toward her.

Normally the soldiers would have reacted a lot quicker but a seventeen year old, rather pretty girl charging down a corridor, clad in black boyshorts and a low-cut black tank top that exposes her midriff, caught them off guard. By the time the brought their tranquilliser guns up, it was far to late. Laura lunged forward, claws extending as she went, and stabbed them both in the chest.

Retracting her claws, she turned to the kids and sent them off to Piotr before continuing on her way. Seven corridors, twelve rescued kids and sixteen dead soldiers later, she turned a corner to find Rogue, Robert Drake and Saint-John Allerdyce running toward her. A pair of soldiers stepped out of a nearby room and turned their guns on the trio. Before they could shoot, Laura made herself known.

"Hey. Idiots. Surprise," Laura shouted as she started to run down the corridor.

One of the soldiers turned and fired a tranquilliser at her, hitting her in the shoulder but not even causing her to slow. As he frowned and fired again, a claw erupted from each foot and Laura ran up the wall, causing every dart to miss. She ran the remaining distance along the wall before leaping off and stabbing both through the forehead. Standing up, she looked at the three younger teens.

"Let's go," she ordered.

The quartet once more ran down the corridor. They hit a snag when they reached the entrance hall, three soldiers crashed through the front door. Laura had to admit, they were smart. They were too far away for her to reach in time and had their guns trained on the others. Any move she made and they would shoot the other kids. Before anyone could act, there was a roar from the balcony above the door. Logan leaped down impaling the two on the sides and virtually crushing the one in the middle before finishing him with three claws to the back of the head. The five then made their way to the hidden door that Piotr had used and slipped out moments before a dozen soldiers raced into the hallway, accompanied by the leader of the organisation.

After a minute of making their way through the tunnels, they climbed up into the garage. John immediately ran toward the sleekest car in the house with a cry of "I'm driving" to which Logan quickly responded with "The hell you are." Rogue tossed the duffel into the boot before climbing in beside Bobby while Laura climbed in next to Logan. Logan jammed a claw into the ignition, started the car and raced out of the garage.

**Drake House, Boston, Spring 2013, Mid-Morning**

Laura stepped out of the bathroom, once more dressed in combat boots, tight trousers that still allowed maximum movement, a black, low-cut, midriff-exposing tank top and a leather jacket, all in black. She cracked her neck before walking downstairs and into the kitchen. She walked in just in time to see Logan whip round and extend his claws at a cat.

"I'm jumpy. Could've been anything," Logan tried to explain when he noticed her, slightly embarrassed as he retracted his claws.

A scream came from behind them, causing both to whip around. It would appear that the Drake's were home.

One awkward explanation later, only helped by Bobby's prompt arrival downstairs, the group of eight were in the living room. After a while of conversation and the reveal of all of them being mutants, Bobby's brother stormed out and Logan's X-phone that he'd taken from the car went off. Logan stepped out onto the veranda to answer the call, while the others stayed inside. While Bobby's parents tried to come to terms with the fact that he was a mutant, resulting in many eye rolls from Laura, Logan discussed the situation with the person on the other end. He walked back in just as Laura got fed up.

"Robert is a 'mutant', yes. That doesn't make him any less your son. His mutation is simply another thing that makes him Robert Drake," Laura coolly pointed out.

"Oh and I suppose it was easy for your parents to hear?" Mr Drake snapped.

"I don't know, what do you think, dad?" Laura asked, turning to Logan.

"I think I don't know what you're talking about and so can't comment. I also think we should get going, something smells off," Logan commented, muttering the last in Laura's ear as he passed her.

Laura subtly sniffed the air before nodding in agreement. Saying their good byes, the group of five stepped out of the door only to be faced by a couple of dozen cops.

"Drop the knives and get down on the ground!" a male cop ordered from one side of the veranda.

Laura glanced to her father for guidance, both of them with claws ready. Logan calmly turned toward the policeman before speaking.

"We can't," Logan stated through gritted teeth, starting to raise his fist.

This was entirely the wrong thing to do. The other man panicked and pulled the trigger, shooting Logan in the forehead. Rogue let out a scream, Bobby let out a gasp of horror and John stared in shock and horror as Logan collapsed. Laura merely glanced at her father before returning her attention to the cops.

"Drop the knives, lady," the cop ordered again, getting over his shock of having killed someone.

"You know all those-" John started to say, pulling out a lighter before Laura cut him off.

"Allerdyce, shut up. We do not need anyone else to get hurt," Laura snapped at him before turning back to the policeman, fists still at her side.

"Look, just calm down, okay? We were just leaving if you step aside then we do not need any more trouble," Laura told the officer, trying to be soothing.

"Whatever you're trying, freak, it won't work," the cop responded.

"So you are going to shoot us? You are going to shoot four teenagers, three of which are still minors? Can you really live with that?" Laura asked him, hearing a sound in the distance that she hoped meant backup.

"Better than what you'll do, _mutant_," he spat, although he sounded slightly unsure.

"Go on then, shoot me," Laura challenged, spreading her arms and retracting her claws.

"What?" the cop asked, more shocked and confused than he had ever been.

His compatriots shared his feelings, almost every gun dropping slightly or wavering.

"Shoot me. I'm not complying so you should shoot me, should you not?" Laura asked, calm as anything.

The policeman just stared at her.

"Does this help?" Laura said, dropping into a fighting stance and extending her claws again.

This time the cop reacted, firing twice in rapid succession, each round hitting her in the chest. Laura staggered back before collapsing onto her back, blood into her top. All the cops just froze in shock at this turn of events. To add to their shock, a large black jet slowly lowered itself into the cul-de-sac. As it landed, Laura stood up, cracking her neck and retracting her claws into her arms. She glanced down at her top, frowning at the two holes in it. At her feet, Logan's eyes opened before he sat up, wiping the trail of blood from his forehead with his hand.

"Come on. We need to go," Jean shouted from the ramp of the jet.

The three youngest in the group immediately ran past the shocked police officers and onto the jet. Laura held out a hand to help Logan up before they too approached the jet. As they approached, they saw Bobby looking up at his house. Laura glanced over her shoulder, seeing the Drake's in the window, disapproving and disappointed frowns on their faces. Laura guessed it would be a long time before Bobby would be welcomed with open arms again.

**Alkali Lake, Spring 2013, Mid-Morning**

Laura ran in with the others, pausing only to stab a claw into the neck of a nearby downed guard before continuing on. After joining Mystique in the control room, the group set about planning. In the middle of the discussions, Laura and Logan looked at a screen and saw Stryker walking down a hallway, flanked by two women, the darker skinned one being someone Laura could vaguely remember. The two shared a glance before dropping their communicators on the table and leaving.

The two ran through the base until they caught up to Stryker and his escort in a large room. The room had a number of square pillars in it but it was the object in the centre of the room that caught their attention. It was a large rectangular tank, filled with a greenish blue liquid. It was a tank that both of them saw frequently in their nightmares, a tank that had seen them go through one of the most painful procedures imaginable; the bonding of adamantium to bone.

"How nice of you both to join us. I don't suppose I can convince you to join us?" Stryker asked, standing behind the two women.

His only response was a growl from Wolverine and a sneer from X-23.

"A shame. You know, I used to think you were unique Logan and the only way to replace you was your clone. I was wrong," Stryker commented before turning to leave.

Logan growled and ran toward the door, followed by Laura. Neither made it. Logan found himself sent flying by a roundhouse kick from the asian woman while the other sent Laura crashing into a pillar on the other side of the room with a punch to the chest. The duo leapt up, unsheathing their claws from between their knuckles. The asian woman flexed her wrist and her fingernails seemed to grow into long, adamantium claws.

"Holy shit," Logan commented, surprised.

Before anything more could be said, the woman leapt toward Logan, spinning through the air. The darker skinned one also leapt forward and lashed out at Laura who ducked under the fist before being sent flying into the wall by a kick. She leapt to her feet and lunged forward, bringing her claws down to the other woman's shoulders, intending to diagonally slice her into quarters. The woman laughed as the claws bounced harmlessly off her skin before grabbing the shocked Laura by the throat and throwing her across the room again.

"Did you really forget about Kimura? I suppose I'll just have to remind you," Kimura commented, chuckling sadistically.

Laura's eyes flashed as the name brought back memories of her training, referred to in the civilised world as torture, at the hands of this woman. With a snarl, she leapt at her foe again, only to be casually tossed aside once more, landing in a heap next to her father.

"How's it going for you?" Logan asked with a groan.

Laura merely grunted in response.

"That well, huh?" Logan commented, sarcasm dripping from every letter.

Laura barely managed to nod before Kimura grabbed her hair and tossed her across the room. Logan leapt up with a roar but before he could even try to hit her, ten thin claws erupted from his chest, turning his roar of anger into one of pain.

As Kimura approached the downed Laura, the girl lashed out with a kick, catching her former handler in the ankle and bringing her to the ground. Laura was up and in a fighting stance, claws retracted, as Kimura pushed herself back up.

"Come here, you little bitch. I think we still have some lessons to learn," Kimura snarled.

"Agreed. Time for you to learn from me," Laura retorted before leaping into action.

Laura leapt forward, sending a flying kick into Kimura's face, causing her to reel back from the impact. A palm impacted the centre of Kimura's chest, followed by a swift kick to the back after Kimura's attack was dodged. Kimura lashed out, catching Laura in the chest and sending her flying. Laura flipped in midair, landing feet first on the pillar before launching herself back at Kimura, crashing into her hands first before pushing off into a flip to land behind Kimura.

Kimura got back to her feet and charged the clone. Laura dodged to the side before grabbing Kimura's head and smashed it into the pillar, eliciting a cry of pain from the older woman. Before she could recover, Laura kicked the back of her knee before smashing her head into the pillar a few more times. Feeling her opponent was sufficiently dazed Laura pulled Kimura's head back.

"You always told me you had indestructible skin and right now I am wondering… does that include your eyes?" Laura asked her.

With a snarl, Laura plunged two claws down at Kimura's eyes. The result was exactly as Laura had hoped. Kimura let out a shriek of pain as blood poured from her mutilated eyes before being silenced as the metal claws pierced the bone of her eye sockets and stabbed into her brain, killing her.

Laura let go of her former handler's corpse and looked across to her father in time to see him plunge an adamantium pump into his opponents stomach. With both their opponents dead, the pair ran out of the room after Stryker. When they caught up with Stryker he was on a landing pad, preparing to leave in a helicopter. Logan grabbed him by the shoulder before slamming him into the side of the helicopter and holding his claws to Stryker's neck.

"Wait. I can give you back your pasts. I can tell you what happened but only if you let me go," Stryker pleaded.

Logan and Laura shared a look before Logan glanced somewhere out of Stryker's view and Laura nodded before going over there. Logan let Stryker go, causing him to collapse with a gasp. Before he could rise, a chain wrapped around him and slammed his back into the front wheel of the helicopter. Laura looped the chain around him a few more times before securing it and coming around to stand next to her father.

"We don't need our pasts to have a future. Thank you for showing us that," Logan growled before the two turned and left.

"There's nothing back there for you. The waterway is locked open. The dam is going to flood. Everyone inside is as good as dead," Stryker shouted after them, in one last ditch effort to convince them.

The two looked at each other before starting to run. They made it to the main entrance just as the X-Men and the mutant children were approaching the door. Logan looked around and rammed his claws into a nearby panel causing the lock to be overridden and the doors to seal, still allowing a large splash of water through.

"You don't wanna go that way," Logan shouted across to them.

"Come on, we need to go. Stryker is unlikely to rely only on that to destroy this place," Laura stated as the others joined them.

The two led the others back to the helicopter, Logan carrying one of the younger mutants in his arms. As they passed a concrete wall outside, Laura paused and approached it. Hanging there, held in place by the same chains she had used to tie him up before, was William Stryker. Laura approached him slowly.

"X-23, help me down. I can tell you about your past, make everything go back to how it was, just get me down," Stryker begged.

Laura leapt forward, claws millimetres from Stryker's face.

"I should kill you for all that you have done to me and to all the others. What little I remember is enough to warrant it a million times over. But I will not," Laura snarled, retracting her claws.

"I'm not an assassin anymore, Stryker. I will not kill you," the young woman told him.

Stryker's eyes sparked with hope.

"But I am not going to save you either. Rot in hell, William Stryker," Laura sneered.

"If I am going to hell, I will not be alone. You and your 'father' will join me one day," Stryker yelled at her retreating form.

"One day, but that day is along way off," Laura replied over her shoulder, before continuing to walk away.

She joined the others in time to see Rogue land the X-Jet (badly) on the landing pad. Everyone immediately ran on, Storm rushing to the pilot's seat while Laura got to the copilot's seat. What few protests there were died down when she started helping Storm get the X-Jet started up again without any need for instruction. Glancing at a read out, she let out a growl.

"The landing jets are damaged. We will not be able to take off," Laura told the others.

"Damn it. With out them, we need a runway to take off, a runway that we don't have," Storm pointed out.

The jet devolved into everyone spouting ideas as to what could be done until Scott Summers' voice cut through it all.

"Wait, where's Jean?" he asked, worried.

The jet shuddered, causing Laura to frown. The water hadn't reached them yet, why were they shuddering? Laura looked at the ground in front of the jet and saw the cause.

"I have found Doctor Grey," Laura stated cooly.

"Where- Oh God!" Scott cried out when he followed Laura's gaze.

"Relax, Scott. I have to do this," the Professor said, eyes closed in concentration.

"No, you don't. We can find another way," Scott shouted.

"There isn't one and you know it. Good bye, Scott. Good bye," the Professor said before opening his eyes as the jet lifted off the ground as the water came closer.

"We're rising. Hitting minimum jet altitude… now. Activating engines," Storm stated, sorrow lacing every word.

"No, we're not leaving her," Scott shouted, furious that Storm was even thinking it.

Storm paused before looking at Scott.

"I'm sorry," she said before activating the engines at blasting away just before the water reached them.

Scott collapsed on the floor of the jet, sobbing, as Storm guided the jet away from Alkali Lake and his fiancée. After a minute, Laura told Storm that she would pilot if Storm wanted to speak to Scott. Storm gratefully stood up allowing Laura to slide across to the pilot's seat and take over while the dark skinned woman went to speak to her old friend. Laura flew the jet all the way back, Storm only taking over again to land in the hangar.

**Professor Xavier's Office, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Spring 2013, Early Afternoon**

"Having seen you in action and hearing of your efforts to keep my students safe, I would like to officially extend an offer to you. A place on the X-Men and, if you wish, as a teacher here," Xavier told Laura, leaning forward onto his desk.

Laura crossed her arms, a slight frown on her face.

"What would be involved if I accept?" she asked.

"You would be expected to be at the training sessions with the other X-Men and go on missions with them as well as work with them. The X-Men are a team and fight as such. As for teaching, it would be just that. You would be expected to teach one or more subjects and be available to help out your colleagues and keep an eye on the kids," Xavier explained.

"I am surprised you are not trying to make me become a student," Laura said.

"Logan explained some of your past to me and I decided that you wouldn't be receptive to, nor would you need, lessons. Of course, even if you decline, you are always welcome to stay here as long as you like. So, what do you say?" Xavier asked her.

"Alright, I accept, on both counts," Laura answered after a pause.

"Wonderful. What would you like to teach?" Xavier asked.

**Grounds, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Spring 2013, Mid-Morning**

"I hope Logan isn't teaching Physical Education again. My muscles still hurt," Bobby groaned.

A lot of the others expressed their agreement in various ways until a voice interrupted them.

"Logan is not teaching you. I am," Laura stated, stepping up to the group.

Some of the older guys snorted in disbelief.

"Nice try, girl. We're not buying it," one of them sneered.

Laura stepped forward so that she was stood right in front of him.

"I am seventeen years old. I have been in physical training, which was a hundred times worse than anything Logan or I will put you through, since I was able to walk. I used to work for the organisation that attacked this school as their top assassin until I escaped. I was there at Alkali Lake where Doctor Grey died, having fought my way through the base. And did I mention? I am Wolverine's daughter. Now pay attention," Laura ordered.

Believing him suitably cowed, she stepped back and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Now then. From now on, I am teaching Physical Education. And to start with, you are going to do a little obstacle course I have set up, without active powers, passive ones only. Follow me," she ordered, walking off toward the tree line.

The kids all followed her, worried what she was going to put them through. And rightly so. By the time they left an hour later, they had suffered through one of the most gruelling sessions of PE in their lives. No one had been even remotely prepared for the obstacle course and no one had wanted to see if Laura could get the Professor to let her make them do it in the dark while she shot at them with a paintball gun. All in all, their first lesson had been filled with mud, swearing and pain but also plenty of laughing and smiles, most of the smiles coming from Laura herself as she watched them fail an obstacle course she had been able to do when she was seven.

When she went to bed that evening, in her own room now, she was happy with her new place in the world. Perhaps here, with her father and the help of Professor Xavier, she could find some form of redemption for what she had done for Stryker.


End file.
